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Case study · 1-800-GOT-JUNK?

How 1-800-GOT-JUNK? grew from a $700 pickup truck to a franchise across three countries

TL;DR

Brian Scudamore started in Vancouver in 1989 after spotting a junk hauling truck in a McDonald’s drive-thru. He bought a used pickup for $700 and called his business The Rubbish Boys. A rebrand as 1-800-GOT-JUNK? and a franchise model took it to North America and Australia. The lesson: a simple service, a strong brand and a repeatable system can scale.

How it started

Brian Scudamore needed money for college and wanted something fun to do. Waiting in a McDonald’s drive-thru in 1989, he noticed a dirty hauling truck in front of him with a junk removal ad. Entrepreneur reports that he invested $700 in a secondhand pickup truck and started The Rubbish Boys in Vancouver, British Columbia.

His tagline was We’ll stash your trash in a flash. He canvassed door-to-door and collected junk from alleyways that the city would not pick up. The business grew faster than he expected.

How they got the first customers

Scudamore’s first customers came from knocking on doors and picking up junk from places others avoided. There was no big budget; the truck and his own time were the marketing.

Early on, he left university to run the business full time, according to his Wikipedia biography, which dates that to 1993.

What drove growth

The Rubbish Boys reached $1 million in revenue in 1997. Scudamore then concluded his staff did not share his vision, laid off the entire team and rehired the people who did, adopting the motto It’s All About People.

In 1998 the business became a franchise under the name 1-800-GOT-JUNK?, and the toll-free number belonged to the Idaho Transportation Department, which eventually released it to him at no cost. He had been told the business could not be franchised. He tested the market in Victoria, British Columbia and Seattle. The first U.S. franchise opened in Portland, Oregon in 2000, and the brand reached Australia in 2005. Entrepreneur reported 31 franchised locations at the time of its article.

Wikipedia reports that the company had 138 locations as of 2025, according to its Franchise Disclosure Document. Scudamore’s parent company, O2E Brands, also includes WOW 1 DAY PAINTING and Shack Shine.

Lessons you can copy

  1. 1Start with the tools you can affordA $700 used truck was enough to begin. Do not wait for perfect equipment to find your first customers.
  2. 2Go door-to-door earlyCanvassing gave him instant feedback and customers. Direct outreach costs time, not money.
  3. 3Hire for shared valuesScudamore laid off everyone who did not share his vision and rehired those who did. Culture fit matters more when you are building a brand.
  4. 4Use a name that sells itselfA toll-free number with a plain question told customers what to do. A name that doubles as a call to action beats a clever one.
  5. 5Ignore people who say it cannot be franchisedHe tested in two nearby markets before committing. Prove the model locally, then document it.

Frequently asked questions

How did Brian Scudamore start 1-800-GOT-JUNK?

In 1989 he saw a junk hauling truck at a McDonald’s drive-thru, bought a used pickup for $700 and started a company called The Rubbish Boys in Vancouver.

When did it become 1-800-GOT-JUNK?

The business was renamed and began franchising in 1998.

Does 1-800-GOT-JUNK? still use the same founder?

Brian Scudamore is founder and CEO of O2E Brands, the parent company of 1-800-GOT-JUNK?, according to Wikipedia.

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